Well, as always the forecast was for rain, wind, thunder with lightning. Guess you always have lightning with thunder, right ? So much for the forecast. 9 of us arrived at the put-in by 8:45 A.M. for the 9:30 A.M. departure time, and were in our boats ready to paddle out across Knott’s Island Bay heading to Carova, when a car with 2 others pulled into the lot. We stopped and watch as they unloaded their boat (tandem kayak) and let the wind blow our boats north, as we floated out a short distance. After about 15 minutes, they were still at the dock. Some of us had left home at 6:00 A.M. and others around 7:00 A.M. just so we would be on time and not make anyone wait on us. With the bad weather forecast for 2:00 P.M. we didn’t want to waste time crossing the bay. By now we had floated about 200 yards and I looked back and they had their boat in the water heading out. We now turned east and began paddling towards a small island to stop and let the two paddlers catch up. (we thought) Here we waited again and it didn’t seem like they were moving at all. With the strong south winds our boats moved right along and again we paddled to a second small island and waited about 15 more minutes and still no sign of the tandem boat. I asked everyone to stay on the east side of the island out of the wind and I would paddle back the half mile and see what was taking them so long. One of our paddlers followed me and as we reached the open water we could not see the tandem boat. I told him to go back and tell our group to go on to Carova and wait at the first canal next to the 3 story white house. I then paddled back over a half mile and finally came to the tandem boat and asked if there was any trouble and they said NO. The boat was heavy, the winds were strong and the paddlers were not making any time at all. I paddled with them a few minutes and then pointed out the 3 story white house and said we would be there waiting on them and I paddled on. I paddled 100, 200, 300 yards and each time I would look over my shoulder and their boat didn’t look like it had moved. I crossed the bay in about 15 minutes and the group was waiting there. Here we all looked out across the waters and could not see a boat anywhere. We waited another 20 minutes and decided that they had turned back so we paddled up the canal to the take out.
We hiked towards Ernie Bowden’s house because I brought a newspaper I wanted to give to him so he could read about one of his old high school buddies that had passed away. Carova, N.C. doesn’t get a newspaper but they do get mail as you will see in some of Bill’s pictures. I had called the 91 year “young man” when we reached the 3 story house and he said he was leaving to go to Home Depot in Virginia Beach, to return an item that he bought earlier. I told him I would leave the paper at his front door, but at 91 he isn’t as fast as he had been a year or two earlier and we saw him drive out of his driveway and were able to talk with him there on the sandy road named, Ocean Pearl . He was very thankful that I brought the paper and that we were able to see him. He then headed out towards the beach to drive the 14 or so miles to the first paved road after going through False Cape State Park and Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. Our younger group had a hard time walking the quarter of a mile out to the beach. A few got in the water and swam, enjoying the cool water. There were two or three hundred people on the beach as we looked north and south for miles and miles, having fun. We headed back to our boats and retrieved our lunches and walked over to the Carova Fire Station where there are picnic tables, just for our Tuesday Group, HA! HA! After eating our lunches, some went for ice cream at the Fire House and then it was time to head back.
Climbing into our boats we paddled out the small canals and were able to see 3 ponies and some took pictures of them. Reaching Knott’s Island Bay we could see dark clouds on the other side, but they were going north and I knew we would be O K and be back to the take-out before the rain hit. It was 2 P.M. and everyone had their boat on their vehicle and tied down and a few sprinkles began to fall. Four of us were going to ride the Ferry back home, but we had the wrong time and the next ferry wouldn’t leave until 4:00 P.M. ,so we turned around and headed back the same route we had driven that morning. We all had a great time paddling and hiking to the beach playing in the surf and eating our lunches there at the Fire House.
I haven’t mentioned any names, except Bill’s and I won’t, but every person that paddles with us should always be on time for the start time, and know your abilities and what it takes to keep up with the group. We always stop and let people catch up and that is O K but 15 to 20 minutes is not O K. I am writing this for the ones that always are there on time, because they get up early just so they won’t be late. Everyone that has a computer can go on the Tuesday Group Web page and click on the blue word MAP and over to the left of the page type in your address and it will tell you the best route to take and how long it will take you to drive there. It was a great paddle and the weather was perfect, see all next Tuesday. Bruce Julian
P.S. I have talked to one of the paddlers in the Tandem boat today and he said he was sorry that he was so late and that they couldn’t get their boat moving, he had learn a lesson about knowing the weather and the type of water in which you are paddling in. He will try again next week at Phyllis’s paddle. Hope to see everyone there. Bruce
View Bill's photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bill_billings/sets/72157670337537706/
View Jim's photos: https://imagesbyjimarend.smugmug.com/Sports/Kayaking/Knotts-Island-Paddle/i-fLv7kBV/A